IWSCC Welcomes Air Canada

Each year we welcome new organizations who see the strength, the ingenuity, and the value of buying Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned. As our newest Member, we’re thrilled to welcome Canada’s largest airline to the IWSCC Community: Air Canada.

Our Corporate Members are at all stages of their journey to work with Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned businesses, and we support them every step of the way. IWSCC invited Air Canada to have a chat about why they wanted to join, and their Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Geith Maal-Bared (PhD), was happy to talk with us.

What led Air Canada to become an IWSCC Corporate Member?

“Air Canada is working toward establishing its supplier diversity program. To do this, we have partnered with Canadian certifying associations to help us identify and partner with diverse suppliers. This is the first step in our action plan to institute a supplier diversity program.”

Why does Air Canada value diversity in its supply chain?

“A more diverse supply chain helps create a broad network of qualified suppliers, which enables us to tap into new mindsets, perspectives, and ideas.”

Why is it important for Air Canada to invest in accessibility and belonging for professionals with disabilities?

“At Air Canada, we are committed to being a leader in accessibility by improving travel and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. To achieve this, Air Canada developed its Accessibility Plan and Feedback Process to identify, remove and prevent barriers both to travel and to employment at our airline for persons with disabilities. Our supplier diversity program and our partnership with IWSCC is one way that we are actively supporting enhanced accessibility at our company, which in turn, helps us realize a more accessible Air Canada for our customers, employees, and partners.”

Why is it important for Air Canada to support Veteran entrepreneurship and Veteran-Owned businesses?

“As Canada’s flag carrying airline, we deeply value our country’s veterans’ sacrifices in service. Air Canada has a long, distinguished history supporting the Canadian military and many military members and their families are part of our workforce (e.g., pilots). We are proud to support veteran entrepreneurship which aligns with our values.”

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the IWSCC community?

“We are excited to be welcomed into this community and look forward to working with IWSCC-certified suppliers.”